The first weeks of pregnancy are an amazing time, the baby is still very small, but it already has a huge impact on the appetite, mood and lifestyle of the expectant mother.
Pregnancy lasts nine months, these are 10 lunar months (28 days each) or 40 weeks. It is absolutely normal when the pregnancy ends between 38-42 weeks. A woman’s body prepares for pregnancy long before conception, and the very fact of fertilization is carefully hidden until a certain time. The gestational age of the fetus is counted from the date of the last menstruation, although the real life of the embryo begins two weeks later.
1 week pregnant
Mother
No changes are observed at this stage. If you are planning a pregnancy, we recommend that you lead an appropriate lifestyle, which will increase the chances of a successful start. A healthy diet, folic acid one tablet a day, a complete rejection of alcohol and tobacco is an excellent solution for the formation of excellent health for an unborn child.
Child
While it is an unfertilized egg, the ovary will release it in the middle of the menstrual cycle.
2 weeks pregnant
Mother
At the end of the second week, do not avoid sexual intercourse. the period of conception is very limited and lasts only 3-4 days (fertile days) with a menstrual cycle of 26-28 days. Nature has taken good care of procreation, and on the days allotted for conception, a woman and a man become extremely attractive. If you cannot determine these days yourself, contact your gynecologist for observation or buy a special ovulation test from a pharmacy.
Child
The released egg at the end of this week moves into the fallopian tube, where it awaits a meeting with the sperm.
3 weeks pregnant
Mother
Fertilization usually occurs 14 days before the expected date of menstruation. It is possible that you will understand when conception occurred. Some women experience this with a “sixth sense”. The first signal is a delay in menstruation, but hormonal changes will occur 10 days after conception, so a pregnancy test will show a false negative result.
Child
The thick mucus that protects the entrance to the uterus becomes less viscous to make way for the sperm. Among the millions of spermatoisodes, only those who have the correct structure and the corresponding movement of the tail will pass this way. The winners gather at the entrance to the uterus and wait for several days for the egg and its signal to act. The ovum, ready for fertilization, releases a chemical that activates the spermatozoa, and through the acidic environment of the uterus, they penetrate the fallopian tubes.
The egg is met by less than a thousand surviving “tadpoles” and only the best penetrate its protective layer, after which the process of closing the cell membrane begins so that no one else can penetrate inside. Immediately after the connection, division into cells begins. At the end of the third week of pregnancy, a ball consisting of several dozen cells reaches the uterus. The scientific name for this ball, which now looks like a raspberry, is morula. Morula cells are constantly dividing, its size is no more than the thickness of a sheet of paper – a little more than 0.1 mm.
4 weeks pregnant
Mother
The end of the fourth week begins to tell the woman about the conception that has happened, you may feel tired and irritable. Many women note that this condition is similar to a severe premenstrual symptom. This statement, of course, can bypass you, because each pregnancy develops according to an individual scenario. Hormonal changes begin, spotting is possible at the time of implantation of the embryo in the uterus. Sometimes such discharge is confused with the onset of menstruation, noticing that they are very scarce. Doubts about the onset of pregnancy can be dispelled at the first ultrasound, as a rule, it is done around the 8th week of pregnancy, i.e. 6 weeks after fertilization.
Child
After reaching the uterus, the morula settles on its wall and becomes an embryo. The cells form the amniotic and yolk sac. When the amniotic sac completely surrounds the unborn fetus, the yolk sac disappears, but now, when there is no placenta, it provides nutrition to the embryo. The embryo is now grayish and translucent, without blood or pigment, it resembles a jellyfish the size of a poppy seed.
5 weeks pregnant
Mother
If the pregnancy test showed two lines, then it’s time to choose a doctor who will monitor your pregnancy until the very end. The first signs continue to appear – the chest and its sensitivity increase, nausea, mood swings, and fatigue appear. Some women complain of a strange metallic taste in their mouth and the need to urinate frequently.
Child
Embryonic cells begin the process of differentiation, the rudiments of 33 vertebrae, internal organs, brain and nervous system are formed. First, the neural tube will appear, which creates 2/3 of the brain and 1/3 of the spinal cord. Women are advised to take prophylactic folic acid to prevent neural tube defects .
Cells dedicated to a specific task take their place in the heart, brain, and spine. The embryo at the end of the fifth week of pregnancy has a length of 2 mm, which is equal to the length of an apple seed.
6 weeks pregnant
Mother
Morning sickness and vomiting appear, habitual odors irritate, mood swings continue. Even if a woman carefully prepared for pregnancy, all the signs of a hormonal storm, unfortunately, cannot be avoided.
Child
The embryo at the 6th week of pregnancy consists of a head, trunk and tail (protruding part of the spine), which later disappears, overgrown with tissues. Two tubes merge together to form a heart. The heart begins to pump blood and on the ultrasound you can see its work. Around the 40th day of development, small arms appear on the sides of the body, and two days later, legs, which are not yet fully formed. Coccyx – the parietal size of the embryo for a period of 6 weeks is 4 mm.
7 weeks pregnant
Mother
Around the 7th week, the weight increases slightly. Nausea continues, vomiting is possible in the morning. Unpleasant symptoms do not affect the baby in any way, he is still too small to feel something. A thick mucus appeared in the cervix – a cork that protects the entrance to the uterus from unwanted visitors (bacteria and viruses).
Child
During this week, the baby grows up to 6 mm, the tiny man has already acquired the contours of the face – eye sockets, nose and mouth are visible. On the sides of the head are two dark dots, over time they will move to become eyes. The arms and legs are lengthened, and fins are temporarily branched at their tips. By the end of the seventh week, the child receives nutrition through the formed utero-placental connection.
8 weeks pregnant
Mother
The uterus has grown to the size of a small apple. The mammary glands are enlarged and sore – the breast is preparing for the production of milk. A light massage using a baby cream will help reduce pain.
Child
The inner ear is developing, which is responsible for hearing and a sense of balance, the beginnings of fingers on the arms and legs have appeared. The eyes have acquired a pigment that forms the color, but it will be possible to understand the color of the eyes only 2-3 months after birth. The rudiments of milk teeth appeared, the liver began to produce red blood cells. The growth of the baby is only 15 – 20 mm in length.
9 weeks pregnant
Mother
The condition of the skin is changing , perhaps you will admire the perfect skin of the face, or vice versa, fight the appearance of acne, dryness and irritation even from the usual cosmetics. Unfortunately, pregnancy is not the best time for complex cosmetic procedures, the most suitable option now is hypoallergenic cosmetics.
The uterus is intensively enlarged, which can cause discomfort in the lower abdomen. A small discharge of reddish or brown color on the day of the expected start of menstruation is a normal option for the first trimester, but a doctor’s consultation is still required to exclude the threat of miscarriage.
Child
An embryo at the 9th week of pregnancy is considered a fetus, by this time the baby has reached 2 cm in height. Reproductive organs develop. The face acquires a more human appearance – the upper lip is noticeable, there are holes in the nose, the lower jaw increases, the eyes and ears are located correctly. The neck appears, but the large head of the fetus is still connected to the chest. Parts of the brain responsible for feelings, thinking and breathing are formed, the pituitary gland produces hormones. Fetal muscle contractions are spontaneous and not felt by the mother.
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